Machine for cutting vegetables.



C. HAWES, G. A. MATHYS I S. N. CRAWHALL. MACHINE Foa CUTTING VEGEIABLES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE I, 19|?.

1,281,964. Patented (m15, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.v

C. HAWES, G. A. MATHYS (VS. N. CRAWHALL. MACHINE FOR CUTTING VEGETA-BLES.

APPLICATION FILED JU'NE 1. 1917.

Patent-ed Oct. 15, 12H8.

r2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Nlllu G A Maik, S c5- V @gam/zalf WED STATES PAEENr errang cHARLEs NAwEs, GEORGE ANDREW MATHYs, AND suR'rEEs NEWTON cRAwHALL, or

LONDON, ENGLAND; sAID MATHYSY AND sAID CRAWHALL AssIGNoRs To SAID HAWES.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING VEGETAIBLES.

To aZZ 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES HAWEs, GEORGE ANDREW MATHYS, and SURTEES NEW- TON CRAWHALL, all subjects of the King of Great Britain, all residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Cutting Vegetables, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for cutting vegetables into thin pieces which machines sometimes comprise a disk itted with slicing knives rotating across the throat of a hopper and sometimes also have a disk provided with large slicing 4knives and a large number of small shredding blades arranged in slotted holders adjacent to the knives whereby in the rotation of the disk the vegetables, such as potatoes, Swedes, carrots or the like, are lirst scored deeply by the shredding blades and the scored portions are then sliced off by the slicing knives so that shreds or thin ingers are formed.

The object of thepresent invention is to enable a machine of this kind to be constructed by which the vegetables will be fed and held up to the disk automatically so as to insure a steady uniform action without bruising or pulping, to enable the slicing knives, or` the shredding bladesV and the slicing knives tobe accurately'fadjusted relatively tothe hopper throat, to insure uniformity .of action and to prevent the delivery of partly or non-sliced, or non-shredded vegetable, and further to enable damaged blades to be easily and rapidly removed and replaced by new blades with a minimum of delay whereby a high efficiency of the'machine as regards quality of shredded product and rate, of out-put can be maintained.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figures 1, 2 land 3 are respectively a side elevation, a ,front elevation and a plan of one formy of machine embodying the invention. r

F ig. 4 isa-'side view partly in section showing wpart of the rotary disk and the hopper throat.

Fig.v 5 is-a sectional view of part of the shaft for the disk and the means for adjusting the disk,

Fig. y6k being a cross section onA VI-VI- Fig. 5.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 15, 1918i.

Application led June '7, 191'?. .Serial No. 173,350.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation or part of the i Figs. 12 and13 are cross sections of modied forms of holder, and clamping plates.

In one form a cast iron disk 1 is mounted on a horizontal spindle 2 so as to runtruly thereon. The spindle 2 is mounted in bearings 19, 20, on a rm support such as a cast iron table 21. A cast iron throat piece 22 forming the delivery throat of a hopper 5 is firmly secured by bolts or screws to the table 21, so as to :tace the disk 1 at one side of the spindle 2. The throat piece 22 is preferably rendered rigid by casting webs at its sides 23. It is preferably machined across the delivery edge 24, and this machined edge is set accurately parallel to the disk l. Any suitable yform of hopper can be firmly or detachably secured .to the throat piece. The throat piece 22 hasr a sharply inclined chute32 whereby the vegetables are fed to the disk and are'held firmly so that they do not rebound so that pulping or bruising is avoided.

The disk is provided with slicing knives 7 and with shredding blades 10. v The spindle 2 is mounted in its bearings 19, 20, so as to permit of a certain degree of axial movement in order that the disk 1 can be set or adjusted accurately relatively to the throat piece 22. In one form the spindle is provided with ball thrust washers 25 and has screw threaded portions 38, 39, to rece-ive adjustable split screwed collars 26, 27, provided with clamping screws 28, 29, so. that -when the collars are slackened they can be f spindle in the adjusted position relatively to the bearings and therefore adjust the disk 1, relatively to the hopper. throat piece22.

- The provision ofa rigid throat piece and means for permitting accurate adjustment of the disk relatively thereto, enables themachine to work eiliciently and clean cut shreds to be obtained and avoids thin slices passing through without being shredded.

rThe shaft 2 may be driven by any usual means. lt may be tted with fast and loose pulleys 83, 34, and a belt striker 35 may be tit-ted to slide on guides 36.

lThe disk 1 has a number of gaps 6. Adjacent to the edge of each gap 6 a slicing knife 7 is secured, this knife preferably having a curved cutting edge as is adopted in well known forms of turnip slicing machines, so as to give a so called draw-cut. Adjacent to the opposite edge of each gap a curved holding plate 8 is secured. The holding plate 8 is curved to conform approximately to the cutting edge of the slicing knife T and slotted at one side or edge toireceive the shredding blades 10. The slots are preferably arranged tangentially to the circular paths followed by the blades in the rotation of the disks so that the blades present their edges fairly to the vegetable being cut. rlhe slotted edge of the holdingy plate is preferably'in the form of a ridge 9 on the face of and partly overhanging the edge proper of the holding plate 8.

The ridge 9 may be of gradually increas-V ing width to accommodate the blades when they are arranged tangentially. Each blade 10 has a notch 11 cut into one side and shaped to conform to the port-ion of the holding plate 8 at the rear of the slotted ridge 9. The plate S is preferably of rectangular cross section the notch being of similar shape. 7When a blade is inserted in a slot in the ridge it also lits into the holding plate 8, the rear part of which enters and fills the notch 11 in the blade. The ridge 9 offers lateral resistance, the edge proper of the holding plate offers resistance edgewise of the blade, and the rear face of the holding plate, in contact with one side of the notch, offers resistance to tilting movement. The notch 11 may be of suoli width that the blade when in proper position projects slightly beyond the edge of the hold-` ing plate 8, and in order to clamp the bladesy 10 firmly in position a clamping plate 12is screwed, bolted or otherwise tightened so as to press against the edges of theV blades.

1t is also desirable to clamp the blades 10 against the rear of the holding plate 8 by a similar clamping plate. These two plates are preferably formed in one piece so that both clamping actions are performed simultaneously and by the same bolts, screws, or the like. For instance, as shown in Figs.k 7 to 12, a clamping plate 12, of channel sectionfis adapted to press with one side or iiange 13 against the edges of the blades, with the bottoniv against vthe rear edges or ends of the blades, and withthe other side 1e against the outer edge of the holding plate 8. This side "of the clamping plate and the co-acting edge of the holding i earned;

made in short lengths or segmentsto allowV f for any slight irregularity of fitting and also to minimize the time and trouble necessary for the removal and renewal o f a blade, as only the segment in the locality of the damaged blade need be removed. lWhen the clamping plate or segment'thereof'is ref moved, the damaged blade can be entract-edE by a pair of pliers or otherwise, a new blade Y inserted and the clamping pla-te replaced and tightened up.` This operation'can be eifected by an unskilled person and the miichine need be stopped only for a very short time as the blades be madeu'ofl a :standlv y ard size and pattern and a'number of 'spare' blades can be kept instock near the machine. lt also enables efficiency in operation td'bey maintained the blades can be readily removed when blunt and replaced by new'and i, sharp blades, and the maintenance` ofthe proper number of good bladesinsures uniformity of shredding. These advantages are very important when a vshredding machine forms part of an organized plant. Thecfas" ing or guard 3 surrounding the disk isref movable and may be fitted with a door to" permit easy access to the rear of the diskto which the blade holders are secured.

The holding plates'S are preferably del tachably secured to the disk 'by screwsvlO' which permit of the holding plates Sbeing removed to facilitate periodical washing 'vor' to enable the machine to be used fforslicingf` only without necessitating the"individual removal of the shredding blades 10r as' theY holding plates 8 with the bladesltlandtlieir f" l' clamping plates can then be removed vintact as the screws 50 are accessible through'holes 51 in the clamping plates.' "2

In another form the blades 10 have profV iin jeoting portions 16, Fig.'12,to"enga'ge loe-" hind the holding plate 8 `instead of beiiigw notched, while in a further mode as 'illus-fA trated by Fig. 13 the clamping'pl'ate 12 has 'iis a ridge 17 enteringnotches'in the blades`,the clamping plate being secured by bolgseor.

screws 18 to the 'holding plate 8. Weclaim:- 1. A vegetable slicing and shredding inachine comprising arotary disk, a horizntal shaft for said disk, bearings for said shaft,

a hopper provided witha throat and dis-. 1 posed on one side of said shaft, the facevof the throat of the hopper being located 'adja Y cent said disk,and means for adjiis'tiiig said Y disk relatively to said throat consisting' of`` two screw-threaded portions on the aforel f j said shaft oneoneach side of one of the fia a 'aforesaid bearings, screw-threaded collars threaded split collars on said screw-threaded portions, clamping screws for said collars and a ball-thrust-washer between one of said collars and the adjacent bearing.

3. A vegetable slicing and shredding machine comprising a rotary disk having slicing knives, slotted holders secured to said disk, independent shredding blades in said holders, clamping plates engaging with said blades at their bottom and outside edges and means for detachably securing said clamping plates in position, said holders and clamping plates having interengaging beveled edges, whereby clamping pressure is applied simultaneously at the bottom and outside edges of said blades, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

4. In a vegetable slicing and shredding machine comprising a rotary disk, having gaps therein, a slicing knife secured to said disk adjacent to one edge of each gap, a

holder secured to said disk adjacent to the opposite edge of each gap, said holder having a slotted ridge, independent shredding blades inserted in the slots of said ridge, said blades having recesses to receive the adjacent edge of said holder, a plurality of clamping plates adapted to engage with the ends of said blades and having flanges for engagement with the outer edges of said blades, and securin means for said clamping plates, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

5. In a vegetable slicing and shredding machine comprising a rotary disk, having gaps therein, a curved slicing knife secured to said disk adjacent to one edge of each gap, a curved holder secured to said disk adjacent to the opposite edge of each gap, said holder having a curved slotted ridge the slots in said ridge being tangential to the centerv of rotation of said disk, independent blades inserted in said slots, and removable clamping plates for holding said blades in said slots, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES HAWES. GEORGE ANDREW MATHYS. SURTEES NEWTON GRAWHALL.

Witnesses:

J. JoHN MAXWEL, O. W. MATHYS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommssioner of Patents, Washington, ID. C. 

